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Is
such a vision for the Church of Tukwila realistic? Is it attainable? Most
of us are aware of the challenges of keeping one family under one roof
moving together in the same direction, let alone one congregation. If this is true, how can many congregations of diverse
denominations, traditions, cultures, etc. possibly connect as one in
Christ and work together? Now that we’ve asked these questions they can seem so daunting and the
task so laden with apparently immovable obstacles that it is tempting to
be like a turtle and go back into our own respective personal ministry shells. Yet
we must
remember that the answer to these questions is found not in our
abilities (and limitations), but in the greatness of our triune God, for
whom nothing is impossible [Jeremiah 32:17, Luke 18:27].It will require commitment, faith, perseverance, and cooperation
(with the Holy Spirit and with one another) on our part. Yet the city-church is a biblical concept and being in God’s
will is attainable through His power. While
acknowledging that God is able to make the Church of Tukwila a viable,
visible, and valuable expression of the Kingdom of God in our city, we
need to affirm that in His providence He chooses to work through His people. Before
presenting a possible framework for the Church of
Tukwila, along with some possible steps towards its development, let’s
acknowledge some very realistic theological issues that will require our
lovingly and openly addressing as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Theological
Issues: Two
important questions need to be addressed in the development of the
Church of Tukwila as envisioned in this Strategic Plan. We will briefly comment on them [remembering again Addendum
B, “A Brief Apologetic for the Church of Spokane” by John
Repsold that gives a much fuller treatment of these matters].
Structural Framework for the Church of Tukwila
The
top part of the framework expresses the “city-church” concept
explained earlier as one of the three major uses of the word
“church” in the New Testament. While it is the most common use of the term in scripture, it
is only now coming back on the “radar screen” of American Christianity. It
reflects
our spiritual unity (One Church) as well as our significant distinctions
(Many Congregations). From these variant congregations and ministries comprising the Church of Tukwila, it is envisioned that there will be three significant leadership groups to be the instruments for God’s guidance: Liaison
Team –
This group would be composed of representatives from the various
congregations/ministries (perhaps one per congregation/ministry), along
with two pastors. The pastors would serve as representatives from the pastors group and would
serve for one year and then be replaced by two other Church of Tukwila pastors. The
Liaison Team
would be chaired by one of its member representatives, chosen by the
Pastors Group. The Team
would meet quarterly at different members’ facilities, praying and
sharing together. The purposes of this group would be to…
Pastors/Leaders
–
This group would consist of the current pastors in the Church of Tukwila
along with leaders from church-related ministries in our city. It is the responsibility of this group to model and maintain
the unity of the Spirit through praying and worshiping together,
developing Christ-honoring relationships among one another, and
providing collective leadership to the Church of Tukwila. In spite of the proverbial “super busy” schedules that will
make the functional reality of this group an ongoing challenge, its
benefits will far outweigh its costs in commitment. Among the benefits of a vibrant Pastors/Leaders Group…
How
and when might this group meet? Here is a suggested pattern, subject to modification as our relationships are
built:
Intercessors
– While it is the
responsibility and privilege of all Christians to pray, the Lord raises
up particular believers with a calling and a burden for intercession. These
“watchmen” (and women) on the walls of the city [Isaiah
62:6] have a primary ministry of intercessory prayer, tend to operate
with gifts of discernment into spiritual matters, and are frontline
warriors in spiritual warfare. Collectively,
they are an invaluable asset to the maturation of the Church of Tukwila. As
we work together to advance the kingdom of God in Tukwila, we
are not to lose sight of the reality of spiritual warfare. We will face resistance that, although expressed in such ways
as apathetic people groups, opposition from organizations, and
circumstantial frustrations and hindrances, is ultimately a battle
“…against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”
[Ephesians 6:12]. It is the Intercessors Group that takes the lead and
gives direction in this ongoing conflict. This
group would be made up of intercessors from the various congregations. They
would meet monthly at one of the congregations to pray
together, share insights, and plan possible intercessory events for the
Church of Tukwila (e.g. prayer walks, prayer cleansing of sites…).
To keep connected with the Pastors/Leaders Group, two
representatives from the pastors would meet periodically with two
representatives of the Intercessors so that these two groups would stay
informed of one another’s needs and insights. In addition, there needs to be opportunities for both groups to
meet together as a whole. Note
that on the Framework chart, these three groups all connect with each other. There
is a needed
“cross-fertilization” of these three leadership groups. This connection is managed in part by having pastor
representatives connect with each of the other two groups as previously explained. In
addition, it would be helpful to have an annual get
together of the three groups for mutual worship, ministry, and
refinement of respective responsibilities. Not only are these three groups connected to one another, they also share in the responsibility to help formulate the next level of the Framework, a level that we will examine more closely: Joint
Ministries – Every
congregation has, and will continue to have, specific ministries by
which they live out God’s unique calling upon them. We are a diverse group and our respective assignments for living
out the gospel will take different shapes in our congregations. At the same time, as the Church of Tukwila develops, particular
ministries and outreach events may very well be developed that find
greater impact as an expression of the Church of Tukwila rather than one
associated with a particular congregation. In some cases, the ministry would better fit the Church as a
whole because of its breadth (e.g. a food bank type of outreach). In other cases it may better fit the Church as a whole because it
can match up individuals from different congregations with a common
ministry interest (e.g. King County’s Life Choices is a large scale
example). Here
is a list of some possible examples of such ministries:
As indicated, at this point these are mostly suggestions of types of ministries that might come about. Some are already under way (e.g. food banks and chaplaincy) and some might appear fairly quickly on the horizon. Others would take a greater development of the Church of Tukwila while others may simply not fly here. At the same time, the Holy Spirit will undoubtedly birth currently unforeseen Joint Ministries in line with the gifts He assembles in the Church of Tukwila. Joint
Worship/Prayer Events – While
the predominant experiences of worship and prayer will continue to be in
the local congregations, it would seem most appropriate that at certain
times and in certain ways the Church of Tukwila is expressed in mutual
worship and/or prayer events. Seeking the Lord together in prayer will continue to need to be the foundation
for the Church of Tukwila because apart from Jesus Christ we can do
nothing to advance the kingdom of God. Programs and ministries will have their value but only as they
spring from and are nurtured in the soil of the Church at prayer. While not in any way an exhaustive list, following is a sampling
of some of the possibilities that would facilitate corporate prayer and worship. This
list is
intended to prime the pump, giving an idea of how the Church of Tukwila
may experience shared worship and prayer and perhaps be a springboard to
other expressions. As
suggested above, both Pastors/Leaders and Intercessors Groups will have
regularly scheduled times of prayer. In addition, perhaps there could be an annual meeting of each
congregation’s staff and leadership boards for the purpose of praying
with and blessing one another…
Some of these suggestions (e.g. National Day of Prayer service) have already been done, at least in small part, in the Church of Tukwila. Others (e.g. 24/7 prayer movement) would not be feasible apart from a full-scale involvement by the congregations in the Church of Tukwila. What is essential is that forms for joint worship and prayer be developed and sustained so that the Church of Tukwila can come about and be the expression of God’s kingdom that would truly glorify His Name. Joint
Resources/Communications –
While prayer is the foundation for bringing about the Church of
Tukwila, and leadership owning the vision is mandatory for its
maturation, the Church of Tukwila will remain quiet and ineffective
apart from an efficient network of communication. Included in this network would also be the information about how
appropriate sharing of resources (material and personal) may be accomplished. Following
is
an initial list of some possibilities to enable the growth of a
communication network and the sharing of joint resources:
Each
of these groups has been previously described. Already there are certain expressions of the first two groups,
while the Liaison Team is still just in the visioning stage. What will be needed is for each of these groups to be firmly
established and growing, if not in number, at least in the most
important dimension of Christian fellowship and unity. When that is the case, the framework of identification for the
Church of Tukwila will be established, and from that framework the
long-range vision will move from being merely a dream to being a reality
that, by the grace of God, is on the path towards fulfillment. When might this initial vision be in place? We would propose that we seek to have these three teams established by the end of 2003.This would necessitate that the Pastors/Leaders group, the most representative of the groups so far, begin seeking those from the various congregations who might be called to be in the other two groups.
The
long-range vision, like the initial vision, also involves a framework.
The distinction is that the steps needed to fulfill the initial
vision will be accomplished when three key leader groups are in place,
even though many in the congregations, let alone the community, are
still not aware of the Church of Tukwila. In direct contrast, the steps needed to fulfill the long-range
vision will of necessity draw not only from the whole Christian
community but will, with purpose, bring about a manifest impact on our
city as a whole. Since the
long-range vision assumes that the tangible impact of the kingdom of God
continues to be experienced in our city, it is a vision that is
not so much “reached”, as though other visions can then be pursued,
as much as it is a vision that has “arrived”, and is now to be lived
out, continually molded and empowered by the Spirit of God. As
noble a long-range vision as this might be for the Church of Tukwila, so
is the challenge before us to actually reach it. The limitation is not found in our great triune God, for whom
nothing is possible. The
weak link is in us, who need to be willing to cooperate both with the
Lord Himself, and with one another. The
need of this nature of vision along with the difficulty of achieving it
is addressed in a question asked by Jim Herrington, of Mission Houston,
“How can the whole body of Christ be unified and our communities be
transformed if we do not possess a clear, shared, and compelling vision
of God’s intention for these communities?” [From an article entitled “Shared Vision for the City”]
.Without a shared long-range vision, the different entities of
Christ’s body in a city minister out of their own individual
initiatives which, while having some value in kingdom building, may at
times duplicate each other while missing other needed ministries, or may
even send confusing messages to the community about the nature of
Christ’s Church. In
truth, even the long-range vision proposed in this Strategic Plan is at
best a tentative suggestion. The
most effective long-range vision will be that which comes forth through
a larger, more representative group of Church of Tukwila leaders, a
vision that is derived through prayer and seeking the Lord together. How
might such a shared, effective long-range vision come about? Jim Herrington mentions that this type of transforming vision
will occur when the following ingredients are in place: …when
the purpose of unity is clear (e.g. John 17, as a witness to the world
of Christ),
Many
congregations develop a slogan by which both the members themselves, as
well as guests, have a handle on what they are all about. While not an absolute necessity, it can be helpful in keeping the
congregation’s purpose clear and continually before all. In the same way, the Church of Tukwila could benefit from a
slogan that succinctly states what we are all about. Such a slogan has benefit both in helping Christians learn and
“own” the biblical concept of the city-church, as well as providing
the public with a handle by which to understand what this church
cooperation is all about. For
all the benefits that a slogan may offer, there are two potential
pitfalls that need to be addressed. In the first place, the slogan needs to be able to state
something of substance that can be grasped by both the churched and uncharted
communities, two groups who do not share the same worldview
or vocabulary. In the
suggested slogan, the attempt is made to remind the church community
that there is only one God, and consequently only one gospel of Jesus
Christ [e.g. Ephesians 4:4-6].In
addition, the word “connecting” is a reminder that we are to be in
the prayerful process of building bridges with the unchurched community
to share the good news of Christ with them in word and deed. At the same time, the slogan is hopefully simple enough to convey
to the community that it is possible to “connect” with God. Also, the “many” refers to the diversity of people groups in
our city. The “great”
speaks of the value of all people in the sight of God. In the second place, a slogan must have a good measure of integrity if it is to have the intended positive results, and not backfire. For example, consider a congregation with the prominent slogan, “The friendly church that makes you feel at home." If a guest visits that church and is not greeted by anyone and even the usher hands them a bulletin without a smile, not only will that guest not return, probably they will find opportunity to speak down about that church to others. While it is true that we can’t meet everyone’s expectations and becoming the Church of Tukwila will be a process, it will be important that we prayerfully seek the faithfulness of our members to the public image conveyed in our slogan so that Christ’s Name will not be maligned. This
is the Strategic Plan for the Church of Tukwila which, while
incorporating the entire Christian community of our city (indeed, it
desires impact on the whole city), is only on the radar screen of
relatively few people. What, therefore, is the next step to be taken? Thankfully, in the Lord’s timing, it is a step that is already
being taken: more than one small group of Tukwila pastors and church
leaders are meeting regularly for prayer.
While the different streams aren’t flowing together yet, their
existence shows that the Lord is delivering us from our isolationist
tendencies and putting a desire in our hearts to seek His kingdom in
Tukwila together. Future steps will be directed by the Holy Spirit. We are
to be obedient to what we know and see right now. As we step out together
the form and shape of the Church of Tukwila will come about by God’s
design, and to His praise. For the Lord 'is able to do immeasurably
more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work
within us. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout
all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.' [Ephesians 3:20-21] *[NOTE: this is only a suggested slogan, serving as an example of what we might develop. As the initial vision develops, we will seek together the most effective slogan.] <<<The Vision | Addendum A >>> |
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